Where You Can Not Follow: The Journey
by Katy Cantin
Summary: Joan had never thought that getting lost in the sparse Iowa woods would lead her on an adventure that would change her life forever. History repeats itself in this two series epic. Please read and review.
1. We're Not In Iowa

Where You Can Not Follow: The Journey 

Chapter One: _We're Not In Iowa._

It was a big deal to move from San Francisco to this small town in Iowa. Even if it had been eight years ago, Joan could still feel the backlash of when people would ask her where she'd live before Iowa. _'California?'_ They would squirm around like it was a bad thing and when they would ask where and she'd reply with San Francisco, they looked at her like she was the Devil Himself and quickly ended up changing the subject. It wasn't like California was bad, but you either heard the _good, _and that only consisted of celebrities and all night parties. Or you heard the bad, like gangs and shootings and drive-bys. Girls in the Midwest, and sometimes even boys, would talk about how bad they wanted to go to California.  
Joan thought they were idiots. Of course she missed San Francisco, but she'd become accustomed to Iowa. She had met the best and worst people of her life. They only reason she had ended up here was because her parents were in the midst of getting a divorce like the rest of America. Her mother couldn't stand California anymore. She hated the smell, the traffic, but it was still part of her, and part of Joan also. Oddly enough, her roots started in Iowa and California so I suppose she was the best of both worlds.

It'd started snowing today. It was a Sunday, and it always seemed like on Sundays there was always the worst kind of weather. One day it would be sunny, and the Sunday raining, and the next Sunday it would be sleeting and then a crazy thunderstorm followed by it being sunny again. To sum it up, Iowa weather was insane and unpredictable.  
She was half awake, pissed off and angry because her mom thought it would be an excellent idea for Joan to take their thirteen year old dog for a walk because in her mom's words: _'She's going to die anyways.' _  
So Joan slid off of her bed, stepping over piles of clothes and whatever else laid on her floor, (one day she could have sworn she saw a gigantic bug crawling through the mass), and hopped down the stairs and into the bathroom before her mom could say anything to her.

After a long shower, she dressed into a grey t-shirt and a pair of jeans, brushed her teeth and pulled her hair up into a ponytail. Coming out of the bathroom her mom was already holding the leash, and threw it at Joan who ducked out of the way, but still managed to get hit in the face with the metal latch part of the leash.  
"What the hell, mom!" she shouted, rubbing her now tender and red cheek.  
"Sorry!"  
"Yeah right."  
"Really, I am. Now go take the dog for a walk."  
"You are the Devil."  
"Fine. Then do it or I will steal your soul."  
Joan rolled her eyes at her mother, making a cross sign with her fingers as she walked past her to grab their German Shepherd by the collar and tugged at it lightly so that it followed her into the kitchen. She kneeled down, picking up the leash and latched it onto her collar. "C'mon, Hobo," Joan said to the dog, yanking on her collar to get her moving at least outside. She hooked the end of the collar to the door handle and shut the door so she could slide on her boots and her jacket.  
"Have fun!" he mom called to her from the other room.  
"Yeah, yeah. We'll try." Joan called back to her mom and zipped up her coat, opening the door and unhooking the leash from the door.  
She shut the door behind her, making a 'brr' sound once the cold air hit her face, "Way to go, Hobo." She muttered at the dog, "Way to go." She drew the last words out as the two of them started walking, making their way up the quiet street.

Every house in Iowa looks picturesque. Every single lawn is mowed; the houses are always decorated on time form any holiday, including ones like Valentines which are just plain stupid, but, that was the good part of town. Not everyone in Iowa lived on a farm or had this beautiful downtown area next to the Mississippi. There were gangs, wannabes who wished they were tough, gross trailer parks where people cooked meth and beat their wives and girlfriends and baby's momma's. It could almost be compared to California, except that people here were nice, they waved, they smiled. That was the one thing Joan hated, and didn't do. You don't smile at someone, or wave at someone you don't know. It was just weird and awkward, so people thought she was a bitch; but really, who wasn't?

Joan and Hobo, (the dog), had made it all the way down to the very end of their street. It was a dead end, with a huge bare field that would be used in the summer again where rows and rows of corn would go on for miles. On one side, there was somewhat of a wooded area. People usually dumped their trash and old tires in the woods, but Joan had never really been in them and her curiosity got the best of her.  
She tugged on Hobo's leash slightly, and the dog pranced over to her side to walk with her. Joan climbed over a fallen over tree while Hobo jumped over it, sniffing the ground and the air.

She must have gotten caught up in walking and exploring because soon enough the sight of the houses faded away until they couldn't be seen anymore and the forest looked like it was getting longer and wider. The woods in Iowa were not this big, and you'd usually end up finding your way to a path, or a highway or to the back of someone's house, but these woods kept going on.  
"You're a dog, find our way back." Joan ordered Hobo, and his ears only perked up at her voice and his tongue rolled out of his mouth. "Nevermind," she mumbled to the old dog. "Let's just turn aro..." but the woods had changed. When she turned it felt like in a flash her world had been flipped around. This place didn't smell like Iowa. Maybe she had ended up wandering into Illinois.  
Joan began to panic and held on tightly to Hobo's leash. The dog yelp from her tightness on her collar and Joan let out slightly. "Hobo, Hobo," she repeated, "I don't know where the hell we are," her voice was panicked and rushed. The two of them started to walk again, this time in the direction they had come. Joan's pace started to pick up until they were both in a run.

Then she stopped. They were back at that fallen down tree, but there were no houses. There was no dead end, there was no corn.  
"I'm so lost," Joan mumbled into the sky. She ran her hand down her face in frustration.

Then Hobo barked, and Hobo never barked. Joan lowered her head and narrowed her eyes in the direction that she was barking in. There were three very large and very frightening horses with men on each of them riding towards them. One reached back looking like he was grabbing something and Joan started to back up. Hobo's barking became more frequent. The man who had reached behind his back then held up something sharp looking and there was a whizzing sound.

An arrow struck Hobo right in the middle of the head.  
She died with a yelp, falling in a heap onto the ground. Joan dropped her leash, not knowing whether to scream or start crying. So she ran instead but never got too far because the men on horseback had caught up to her by now and there was a whoosh. That's when Joan fell, hit on the back of the head with the end of something metal. She was sure, as she fell, that she was going to die.

* * *

**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own anything LotR.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**: I based Joan's moving from San Francisco to Iowa off of my life. I moved to Iowa from California when I was 6 and it was weird to me but I've managed so far. And if you ask why the dog is named Hobo, well, it's a long story.


	2. Everything Will Come Around

Where You Can Not Follow: The Journey 

Chapter Two: _Everything Will Come Around_

* * *

She could feel a cold zap of air wisp across her face and she shifted for the first time in how ever many hours she had been knocked cold. So Joan hadn't ended up dying. She felt relieved and at the same time wondering if when she opened her eyes it would only end up being worse.  
Joan struggled to open her eyes and could feel her head spinning. It felt like it had the weight of the entire world shoved into her skull and she had to lift it all up by herself.

It had to have taken at least half an hour before Joan had sat up all the way. Her hands were pressed palm down firmly on the cold, wet ground. It was either dark, or Joan had gone blind, but the reassurance of the faint outline of trees slowly coming into focus made her happy that she had infact not gone blind.

Her head raced, and her head hurt.

"You're finally somewhat awake," said a deep, accented voice. It was the kind of voice that when you heard it you felt like everything was perfect and made sense. It was filled with wisdom and knowledge.

With still blurry vision, Joan looked around cautiously. There was a bright white light; an ethereal light to her left. It looked like a person sitting, and as her vision became clearer and clearer she could began to see that it was a real person.

He was an old man dressed in the purest of white. A long white beard and long hair fell and stopped at his waist. He was smoking a long wooden pipe, and when he blew out the smoke he blew out these intricate designs of ships and towers and castles. Joan rubbed her eyes to make sure she wasn't just seeing things, but when she could finally see straight (though she still had a pounding headache), she saw the man still sitting there, smoking a pipe.

"What? I don't understand what happened," Joan managed to choke out.

The old man in front of her went quiet. Putting his pipe out he stood, gathering his robes in one hand as he did and walked forwards to her with an overwhelming aura of power and knowledge.  
"You wouldn't." he began, "But I can only tell you that you are needed here now."

Joan narrowed her eyes towards him, "I am needed here? Where is here?" she paused, remembering her poor dog and frantically started looking around for her. "Where's my dog?"

He let out a sigh again, knowing that this would be difficult, "Dead." He said grimly, watching the young woman's face fall.

"What is my mom going to say? I'll be in so much trouble."

"She will not say a thing," the old man interjected. Joan raised her head to look up at him, eyes narrowed again.

"What do you mean? Are you crazy? Are you going to murder me?" Joan started to stand, her head heavy and she faltered swaying from side to side when she stood up and used a tree's trunk to hold herself up.

"No, I am not." He said to her, "You may want to sit down."

"I don't want to sit down," Joan shouted at him.

"As you wish," the man mumbled, and moved to sit down back on the smooth stone again, settling in. "I suppose I shall try and explain this to you, but it will be hard. You will be in denial and will mourn for the loss of your past life."

"What're you talking about?" Joan shouted at him again.

"Quiet, child," the man said to her firmly, eyes locked onto the young woman's. Joan fell silent but her face still read of anger and mistrust. Who was this man who wanted to tell her about a past life? That she was needed here? Nothing at all made sense to her at the moment.

The old man began.

"Firstly, I am Gandalf the White, and you my child, are in Middle Earth," Joan tried to interject but he held his hand up and she held her tongue and Gandalf continued, "Now this is the complicated part. Where you lived does not exist. There was a prophecy, about a young woman coming from a time unknown to us, a time that to us, does not exist and will never exist. That young woman was meant to stop history from repeating itself."

Joan frowned, but was oddly intrigued, and oddly enough her worry and fright began to melt away like every thing he was speaking about she understood and she was meant to be here. In an odd way it just felt right.

Gandalf continued;  
"You must never speak of your world, because now to your world you never existed. It's very complicated to explain, and even I cannot explain how this happened or why it has been you who has been chosen. Nor can I explain how you got here, but I _must_ insist that you do not speak about anything from your world."

Still frowning she asked, "I never existed then?"

"Never." He replied, "But what you were meant for here, ah, it was written in stone that you were meant to save us. Stone cannot be erased." Gandalf paused. His head tilted to one side watching her expression. "You look as if you feel like you know every word that I speak is the truth."

"Oddly enough, yeah."

Gandalf flashed a crooked smile and grabbing the twisted piece of white wood with a white crystal fitted into the top of it he stepped forwards to her and placed a withered hand on her shoulder. "Come now, and I will take you someplace safe."

"Wait, what about those men on horseback who shot my dog in the face?" she asked him.

Gandalf's face fell and even looked like it became dark and the light faded away from him, "Before there were creatures called _ring wraiths_: men who had fallen to the _One Ring's_ darkness. The only thing they craved was the power of the Ring, and would kill anything in their way to get to that one thing, but now." He inhaled deeply, "These things are darker. They were bred in evil._ Darkyns: _creatures who live on the taste of human blood. Evil, vile creatures they are. Bred by the _Darkness_ himself to find and kill the girl who holds the power to destroy the _New Ring_. Thankfully, they are just as stupid as orcs and can die just as easy as a man, but it's their evil and lust for blood and the reason to keep the _New Ring_ alive is what keeps them going."

Gandalf looked down to Joan, his gaze intense. "You need to stay alive, or we will all suffer a fate again like one that has happened with the _One Ring_." He dropped his hand and turned on his heel with his walking stick in one hand. Joan faltered for a second.

"Did you stop the.._One Ring_? You know, from being used badly?"

"We did," Gandalf replied without looking back, "But not without a fight and many deaths, but you," he turned around once more, "You were meant to stop this _New Ring_. It is more powerful and evil than one could bare and if it fell into the wrong hands than Middle Earth would perish. You need to find the Ring, and as a young man who had destroyed the _One Ring_ before, you must destroy the _New Ring_ now."

"I don't want to carry the weight of anything on my shoulders," Joan protested. "It's too big."

" Yet you feel like you cannot deny this quest, can you? As sad as it is to say, you will forget everything you have ever known in your world," Gandalf said, "You will know nothing of that world as you become more involved in this world; in _your_ world."

He turned around again, beckoning for her to follow. Joan started to walk side by side with Gandalf. Her mind was flooded with questions and worries and scares, and almost as if Gandalf could read a question that she had been thinking of, he barely spoke in a whisper as he said; "History has a way of repeating it's self."


	3. It's Fate

Where You Can Not Follow: The Journey

Chapter Three: _It's Fate_

* * *

The two walked in silence. Joan's head swimming with questions, and she wanted as many as possible to be answered. 

"Where are we?" she asked first.

Gandalf looked down at her and then away, "Just outside the woods of Rivendell." He told her.

Joan was taken aback, "Elves?" she spat out, staring up at him. Elves would either be those short blokes who sold you cookies that they made by hand from their living quarters in a tree, or they were going to be beautiful, charming and flawless.

Gandalf nodded, not looking down at the young woman until Joan brought up the fact that what she was wearing, and what he had told her (not to mention anything about her _past_ life). Gandalf stopped and let out a sigh, "Ah yes, your clothing is rather..peculiar." He mused to himself and looked her over like what she was wearing was the oddest thing that he'd ever seen in his life, and she had guessed that Gandalf had seen a lot. He coughed to clear his throat and began to mumble incoherent words. To Joan it just seemed like a bunch of whispers and random clicks that made no sense, but in the end Joan looked down to see herself dressed in a forest green dress. It was synched at the waist with a silken rope-type belt and the extra ends of the belt fell down loosely in the front. Something so simple was beautiful to her.

"Are you a wizard?" Joan was just now catching on and it caused Gandalf to chuckle and nod.

"Indeed." His gaze was turned away from her and was caught by something else. A smile slowly began to pass across his face. "Come, child." He ordered to her, "And remember: Do not speak of anything that is not of this world." It had been pretty clear to Joan by now that saying anything that would bring up where she had come from would probably cause people to begin to distrust her and think she was crazy. Joan wouldn't be spilling anything much. Her head still throbbed and she was still unsure of what exactly was happening, but what she did know was that in the end she was going to risk her life.

It felt oddly perfect to her. A needed release; something to look forwards to, but maybe her mind was just going? Maybe the air was poisoned, but she would have been dead by now.

_It's fate_, she thought to herself. _It's fate._

There was a figure in the distance. They were striding forwards and as they got closer Joan could see that their were actually two people. One was a tall, dark man who looked like he had spent every day under the sun. He was tan and built, with shoulder length dark hair. With him was a gorgeous man who looked like he was glowing; flawless and perfect. His hair was the purest of blondes and he didn't have a scratch on him, and his ears; Joan noticed his ears almost right away: they were pointed.

The tanner man walked up to Gandalf and the two embraced in a friendly hug while the fair man shook his hand and flashed him a beautiful smile.

Gandalf stretched his hand out towards Joan, "I found her in the woods. The _Darkyn_ were chasing her."

The brown haired man frowned very slightly, "Is she this girl your prophecy has spoken about?" he asked. Gandalf nodded.

Joan decided that maybe it would be best to introduce herself and so she began to speak, "I'm Joan."

All three men turned to look in her direction like they had just heard a mute man speak for the very first time. Gandalf let out a hearty chuckle, his eyes squinting a bit. The other two men smiled crooked smiles. "I am Aragorn," said the tan man.

"I am Legolas," the other man said.

"Well!" Gandalf exclaimed, breaking up an awkward silence before it had even commenced, "Shall we return to Rivendell?" The two men nodded. Gandalf walked a bit quicker to catch up to Aragorn and then Legolas and then Joan after him. Legolas held himself back a little, wanting to speak to this stranger.

"Where do you hail from, Joan?" he asked her.

Joan searched her mind for an answer. She really had no idea what to say. "I don't...remember," she faked not remembering and used the bump to her head as an excuse.

"Ah, well. When we get back to Rivendell we will quickly get you some help for that." Legolas offered and flashed her a smile.

Joan smiled faintly back in return. She then hesitated for a few moments, "Are you an elf?" she asked.

Legolas laughed at her question, "Yes, I am. Those _Darkyns_ must have hit you rather hard." His pace quickened and he had caught up with the other men, leaving Joan to follow them.

Gandalf. Aragorn. Legolas. Joan wondered who she would meet next, and as they walk her thoughts drifted into her numerous questions and what she thought about the place; and then she stopped. Ahead of her was the most beautiful place she had ever seen. Every single tree was perfect, the water was clear and the waterfalls sounded like they were singing. Then there was a city that looked like it was glowing in purple and blue and white hues.

Aragorn looked back to her and she came to stand just behind him. "Welcome to Rivendell."

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Not my favorite chapter, and extremly short! But I needed to introduce Aragorn as soon as I could, and Legolas is just cute so, hey. :) Once I get the basic storyline down be read for some swords and arrows flying. Don't worry, it gets better.  
PLEASE READ & REVIEW:D 


	4. The Journey Begins

Where You Can Not Follow: The Journey 

Chapter Four: _The Journey Begins_

* * *

Rivendell stretched out in front of them. What looked like a compacted small town from far away turned out to be a very spaced out and large elven city. 

Joan was amazed. She thought everything was beautiful, from the ground up to the very part of the tallest tree she could see. Beside her, Gandalf chuckled, "Rivendell was almost lost." He said to her. Joan turned her head to look up at the old man.

"Why? How?"

"Five years ago is when the _One Ring _was destroyed. Men thought it was the end for them, and elves thought it was the end for them. The elves had somewhere to go. They could take a ship from the Grey Haven to get somewhere safe, or stay and watch Middle Earth fall apart," he paused and looked around as they walked deeper into the city, "Once Middle Earth was eventually saved, they returned."

Joan nodded after he had finished his story. They came to an open cylindrical shaped building that was held up by pillars engraved with what looked like purple writing and then had vines that crept up the sides over the pillars and slid their way onto the dome shaped roof that was outlined in a blue color.

The four of them walked up the few steps that led up to the gazebo type building where at the end a tall, graceful man stood with a beautiful women at his side. Along side her stood a short man with a long red beard. He looked too out of place to be standing next to such beautiful people, but than again he probably felt more in place than Joan ever would.

"The Ring Keeper," the new man mumbled to noone in particular.

Aragorn, Legolas and Gandalf all stepped forwards and greeted the man. Aragorn gave the woman a kiss and said something to him in a language that she couldn't comprehend.

Gandalf turned to face Joan who was standing alone, facing all of them. She felt small, even compared to the dwarf-man. She felt like they were judging her, wondering why a _child _was chosen to do something that meant their lives.

"Joan," he started, "This is Lord Elrond of Rivendell, and his daughter, Arwen." The dwarf let out a cough and Gandalf cracked a smile. "And this is Gimli, son of Gloin."

Elrond spoke next, "We had thought to be the War of the Ring over," his voice oozed with wisdom and knowledge and she felt compelled to listen to every word he had to say, "But now, five years have passed with calmness. Until Darkness rose into power. He was created in the very depths of Mount Doom, and it is said he was created from the very Ring itself. He is a mirror image of the Lord Sauron who had helped Saurmon try and take back the One Ring. Luckily, our Ring barer had saved us all. Frodo Baggins," Elrond paused, "He was a Hobbit. An unlikely choice, but it was meant to be. Just as you are meant to destroy the _New Ring_ and save us from Darkness," Joan could have sworn she felt the air around he get a degree colder as he spoke about Darkness, "Only now," he continued, "You must retrieve the _Ring_ for it has not been found, and if it has.." he took in a breath, eyes narrowed at Joan, "You must get it anyway you can., take it back to Mount Doom, slay Darkness and destroy the _New Ring_." Joan kept glancing to and fro, looking from person to person. They honestly all believed in her already? She had hardly spoken a complete sentence and now their fate rested on her shoulders?

"Do not be afraid," the voice was soft; ethereal. Joan felt oddly calm. Arwen glided towards her like she was floating on air. The elf woman reached out, touching Joan's hair and smiled faintly, "You are here for a reason, and though we may not know where you come from, and you cannot tell," Arwen gave her a reassuring smile, "We promise we will protect you. They will protect you," she said, refrerring to the men who stood behind her. Arwen then leaned forwards and kissed Joan on the forehead.

"Thank you," Joan mouthed and Arwen smiled still. She turned to face her father.

"Let the girl have some alone time? Look how shaken she is." Elrond just waved his hand and nodded and taking Joan by the hand Arwen led her off.

The men all stayed and Gimli was the first to speak, "The New Ring Keeper is a woman!? No less a girl!"

Aragorn turned to Gandalf and Elrond while Legolas stood idly by and Gimli continued to complain.

"Minlu pedich nin i aur hen telitha, Gandalf," Aragorn said to the old wizard who stood by Elrond holding his staff in front of him, leaning on it slightly.

"That I did," he replied, "How she had arrived here I do not know, but the _Darkyn's_ were waiting when she did arrive."

"_Darkyns_," Aragorn mused, "Deadlier and fiercer than the Ring Wraiths."

Just then Elrond's voice broke in. It sounded eerie and dark, "I fear a new war is upon us." He said. Gimli went quiet, and they all turned to face the wise elf. "It will take one year until the date she has arrived in Middle Earth until the New Ring will be found," his gaze seemed like he was looking at something far off in the distance; cloudy and out of it, "_Darkyns_ will hunt you. Darkness will stalk you," he paused, "Then calm for five years," his voice became quieter, "It does not tell what happens during those five years, but again, on the day she had arrived it will begin again. Darkness will have finished rebuilding his fortress and will begin on a new army of orcs and _Darkyns_. It will be the Last War. Blood will be spilled, and many, many lives will be lost." And as if he suddenly snapped out of his trance he looked at every single one of them, "It is the _real,_ final war," he frowned, "And as you protected the Hobbit, you must protect her with your lives." Gathering his robes in one hand he began to walk away, moving past Gandalf and Legolas, "Leave at daybreak," Elrond said before disappearing behind a building.

They watched him leave, and at the very moment Arwen and Joan had come back. Joan had changed into elven armor that Arwen insisted that she must wear underneath her dress and they had talked for awhile, Arwen had reassured her that it fate and that there were reasons she was taken from wherever she had come from to be in Middle Earth and had taken care of her wounded her, using elfish medicine on it.

She did have to admit that her mom was in the back of her mind when they spoke of where she had come from, but she was already starting to forget. It must have been something in the air, or that bump on her head.

Aragorn was the first to walk towards her and then Legolas, followed by Gimli. "We will go with you to the end, Joan the Keeper," he flashed her a crooked smile, and Joan smiled faintly in return. He kneeled down in front of her and grabbed her hands, holding them. Arwen had a hand on her shoulder, "You are young," he said, "And I will treat you as I will treat my future daughters. You are meant for something, Joan the Keeper," he told her and then stood. Legolas and Gimli both had half smiles on their faces.

"Ah! Enough with this mushy stuff! Gimli exclaimed which caused a fit of laughter among everyone, including Joan. Gandalf then stepped forwards, moving past Legolas and Gimli and Aragorn to come and stand in front of Joan.

"You have a following already," he said.

Joan shrugged slightly, "I suppose you could say that."

"I did," he replied, smiling and Joan smiled back at him, "But go now, rest, get to know your New Fellowship," Gandalf suggested waving her off and turned to walk away.

"You're not coming?" Joan asked. He half-turned on his heel and faced her with a mischevious smirk.

"I will arrive at most serious times and at times when I am not even needed at all. You are well protected." And then he disappeared. Joan was left with Arwen at her side and the three men in front of her.

Legolas then stepped forwards and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Ae u-esteliach nad, estelio han, estelio amen." Joan tilted her head in Arwen's direction, not knowing what Legolas had just said.

"If you trust nothing else," she whispered into Joan's ear, "Trust this, trust us."

This is where Joan's journey begins.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**: I hope this helps explain stuff! Now it'll get more interesting. :) 


	5. I'm Ready

Where You Can Not Follow: The Journey 

Chapter Five: _I'm Ready_

* * *

Clouds rolled in quickly overhead, and the loud roll of thunder could be heard off in the distance. It was like the weather was foreshadowing what was to come, and it frightened Joan a little bit.

Arwen had taken over to temporary role of watching out over Joan, and already it was time for her to leave Rivendell. Over the past two days Joan had settled in and loosened up a little. She mostly confided to Arwen and tried her best to avoid her father who looked like every time he saw Joan he wanted to kill her.

She sat with Arwen in the room they'd given her to sleep in for the night. Joan's palms were sweating and cold. She was wringing them together nervously. Arwen, seeing this from over her shoulder, turned and gracefully kneeled down in front of Joan, holding her hands in her own, "It is a long, deadly journey," she said to Joan honestly, "But it is your fate, Joan."

Joan nodded nervously, her throat caught up in a swell of tears that were held back. She nodded, biting her bottom lip until she couldn't take it any longer and burst out into tears. Arwen frowned, lifting herself up to sit next to Joan on the bed and enveloped her in her arms, shushing her like a baby.

"Arwen, Joan," came Aragorn's voice from the doorway but once he saw she was crying he mumbled a 'sorry', and slid out of the doorway leaving the two alone.

"It will be tough," Arwen said softly to her, stroking her hair. "You can do this. It has been foreseen."

"I-I'm," Joan choked out, "S-s-s-cared,"

"I know you are." She paused, lifting her head up, her eyes staring off into the distance, "We all are," Arwen murmured to the girl.

Joan lifted her head up, sniffling, and let out a sigh. Arwen looked down at Joan with a smile.

"You will do perfect." She said, leaning down to kiss Joan on the forehead and slid away from her, gliding to the door. "Come now, Joan. You must be ready to leave." Arwen said, and left her alone in the room.

Joan sat in silence for a few minutes, composing herself and gathering up whatever she had inside her to walk out the door looking like she was ready for whatever would happen.

Everyone was waiting outside for her when she exited the room, minus the dwarf, Gimli.

"Where's," she searched for a name, "Gimli?" Joan asked quietly to no one in particular.

Aragorn looked over at her, "He had other affairs to attend to but might return later on in our journey," he said and moved over to her, handing her a piece of blank paper. "Gandalf wanted me to give this to you. He said it would help you in the finding of the Ring, but I do not know how a blank piece of parchment could help you any," he mused outloud. Joan shrugged, folding up the paper neatly and sliding in into the pouch around her waist that Arwen had given her to keep things she needed in, and Joan supposed this piece of blank paper would become very important.

"Now you must go," came Elrond's firm, strict voice from behind Joan, causing her to jump and turn slowly around so she was facing him. Elrond was looking down at Joan with narrowed eyes, "A darkness brews again in Mordor." He said, staring directly down into Joan's eyes. She faltered and blinked, turning her head away from him.

Luckily Arwen was there and gently led Joan away from her father, walking with her, Legolas and Aragorn to the bridge.

"I must leave you now, Joan."

"Why don't you come with?" Joan almost pleaded. Arwen had been the first person she had come close to so far.

Arwen forced a smile at Joan and stepped forwards, embracing the girl in a hug, "I am expecting a child, Joan," she said into her ear.

"Really?" Joan whispered back to her.

Arwen drew away from her and nodded, "Gondor is not safe at the moment for me, that is the kingdom Aragorn rules," Joan stopped her midsentence.

"He's a king?"

"Yes, he is." Arwen said, laughing quietly, "But Gondor is too close to Mordor, and so I had to come back to Rivendell, and so I cannot go with you on your journey Joan, but I believe in you." She reached out, grabbing Joan's hand and placed a shiny necklace into her palm; the Evenstar. "This necklace has been on a great journey, and now I want you to have it, Joan. Keep it close to your heart and you will always feel me with you." Aragorn and Legolas were halfway down the bridge by now and had stopped, turning around to the two women.

"Joan." Aragorn called to her. Arwen kissed Joan on the head one last time.

"Be safe."

Joan turned around, leaving Arwen and Rivendell behind with a heavy sigh. She opened her palm to look over the necklace and fumbled around with it as she lifted it up, sliding it around her neck and stuffed in underneath her shirt.

She finally caught up with Aragorn and Legolas at the end of the bridge, the two of them watching her carefully.

"I'm ready," Joan said, looking at each of them with a crooked smile causing Legolas and Aragorn to smile back faintly at her.

They left Rivendell for good that morning.


	6. What's To Come

Where You Can Not Follow: The Journey 

Chapter Six: _What's To Come_

* * *

The city of Rivendell faded into the distance as the trio began their slow incline up a steep path. Legolas was lithe and hopped from rock to rock without losing any breath like it was something her did everyday. Aragorn kept up the pace with him, but wasn't as graceful, and Joan fell behind, gasping for air as she tried to keep up with the two of them. She kept her head down, staring at her feet as she trudged up the hill until she saw another pair of feet standing in front of her and looked up.

Legolas had a small, crooked grin resting on the corner of his mouth. "Do you need a hand?" he offered.

Joan frowned, sticking out her bottom lip, "I'm fine. I can do it." But Legolas paid no attention to her and grinning, grabbed Joan who in her shock let out a scream so Aragorn spun around, his sword already drawn and stopped, seeing Legolas carrying Joan and let out a sigh, his eyes rolling and a grin slipping onto his lips.

"Legolas…"

Legolas laughed, and Joan thought she would die. He had the most beautiful laugh she had ever heard, it was perfect, and it made Joan laugh and she lightened up since the first time she had come here, almost forgetting what she was suppose to be doing.

Legolas carried her to the top of the hill with ease and set her down. He held her hand longer than someone who didn't like someone would have, causing Joan to blush. Legolas cleared his throat, looking away as his hand slipped from hers.  
Aragorn on the other hand had stopped, and then raced up the rest of the way to stand near Legolas, speaking to him quickly in Elvish, but she could clearly understand the word: _Darkyns_.

"What are you saying?" Joan asked. The two men looked over at her and without any words, Legolas grabbed her arm. His eyes flickered around the dense woods like he was looking for something. He jerked Joan, making her hide behind a cove of rocks. He let her go, and then kneeled down in front of her, smoothing out her hair.

"Do not say a word, Joan." He ordered, "Do not make a sound." The two of them locked eyes, and then he was gone. Joan fell silent, and dragged her legs up closer to her body.

Legolas met Aragorn back at the small path, his bow drawn. In a flash a Darkyn jumped at Aragorn causing him to fall backwards. The Darkyn flew over him, and in a swift movement, Legolas pulled an arrow, shooting him square in the middle of the forehead. Aragorn had stumbled up finally, frantically looking around.

"There are too many!" Legolas called to Aragorn, "We have to run!"

Aragorn nodded to Legolas, "Get Joan. Take her. I will find you." He ordered to Legolas, striding towards him and placing a reassuring hand on the elfs shoulder before running off in the direction of where the Darkyns had come from.

Legolas jumped over the rocks where Joan was hiding, causing her to jump.

"Get on my back, Joan!" Joan scrambled up out from underneath the carved out log, jumping onto Legolas's back. He grabbed her legs at her calves and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Legolas jumped back over the log with her on it and met up with Aragorn again who had come back, (he'd been scouting to see how many more there were.).

"There's too many for the two of us, Legolas. We must make haste!" he urged, pushed Legolas lightly on the arm and the three of them took off, Aragorn and Legolas on foot and Joan on Legolas's back.

She was unsure of how long they had been running, but it seemed like forever, and the woods soon broke out into an open, rocky, hilly area. The sky was fading into pinks and purples and blues and blacks. Legolas had set down Joan once he and Aragorn felt safe enough and once they had found a 'camp.' It consisted of a few rocks that were weather-beaten to look like they were a natural fortress, surrounding the trio on one side while leaving the other side open but it was better then being right out in the open.

Aragon scavenged for piece of wood while Legolas became the temporary watchman. Joan sat huddled, her back up against a stone. If this was what to come from her journey, and was only bound to get worse she wondered how the hell she would ever be all right alone.

Aragorn returned from looking for wood, only having found a few pieces to start a very small fire and soon Legolas came to join them. Aragorn and Legolas chatted amongst themselves in Elvish while Joan half listened and half dozed off until finally sleep caught her and she drifted away.

Soon, Aragorn retired to sleep and Legolas was first to keep watch out over them for the first few hours. He became distracted by Joan though, and silently crept over to her, kneeling down and removing the woolen cloak from around him and laid it on top of her, smoothing the fabric down over her arms. His hand then drifted up, brushing away a strand of dirty blonde frizzy hair from her face, smiling faintly.

"Nadath na i moe cerich, Joan." He whispered to her softly before dissapearing over the rocky fortress.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **"Nadath na i moe cerich, Joan." - "You have much yet to do, Joan." 


End file.
